Game device



Aug. 21, 1945.

i J. vw. PATTERSON 2,383,210

Filed.` June 29, 1942 rately co'ntmlled.i` i i n i An important bjctoftheihventibn ifs to 'p`1"o` vide an improved device which is adantedto be t eenerieei` ebieet and whienjie ee 'eene i the i-neii'ndtienef the 1 device et the t termines thedistenee-eff Another smeet 'orme in en iiripieved 'gaine devi lvide i'mdrevedeaiiie device; er `he ter described, wherein the actuatiigrn ber is i bivotallv-'supborte'd adjacent its" upper'lend whereby swinging' movement of said dbnerend 5 will produce `an amplified movement of th `1 Patented Aug. 21, `1945 UNI-TED- GAME t DEVICE. .Iseph`W`. Patterson'lflsa, Ollag"` npplieetionliruirezs, 1942,'serie1 n3418345 l 1 claim. ici; 12451) This inventieriirelete'e renew and ueefurimf- `provemeni's in g"a`rie devices. fi i i Y 'Orie object fof the invention is 'to provide an ated i for imparting' movement te a b'all orfsiiher- `ical elen'ient and being so `constl'rte"cl"tliat `the trajectory the flight 'of the element as` well as the direction end diete-nee thereof may' te eeen- 'emplcyed in a eeriieref skin ier fer' tuatientnereef eiitreie die trajet:

night df triejeieme t and te e leiigeextjent described, navi-rigen actuan g menireeihet the elementen V y `jeeied, die trejeeieiy and ei'e'ieiiee er iiigritef 1re iiniieii-eder e'reviceconstru'cted in accordance with the *inven' t tion,

` ubiie'r ehd-oftheactuatlng member, with a portin `in` section, showing the `connection `between "said "member and its lever;

` inverted Urshaped frame, of woool or other` suitable material; preferably consisting of `a 'pair `of uprightilegs Il `lii'slwing their `upper ends con- `nectedby a "short cross bar I2 which serves as "ahand-le. fTl-'ie `'legs II `converge or are inclined *inwardly and diivnwardy toward each other so` `that the ylower portions I3 of said legs` are disbosedinwardly of the upper portions thereof seid element seing eentreiiedbv iheieitieneiiip i inclinatien of the device fat the time offswuch "movement whereby the 'dsired High-tof thle- `ine'nt is obtained through the fs'kllo the player t Sie correctly combining the pieter emi-liet; ef hoveniers endineiirfiaiiien. i f

n peitie'diar ebieet 'ef die iiiventieiiiete prearacend 'of said member, said leweyrieii'd v a vfoot for engaging `the *Spherical elementen that i Figure is 'a front elevation of the` device,

Figure-3 is a transverse; vertical, sectional View,` i `takenoifth'e line 3;;3 off Figure 2,

sectinal' vie'wyshofwing the pivotal support of the eetuetiiigmefmber, and t, i isrefpla'n v'ew of theY ball or spherical "Figure 6 element. Y I

` In the drawing, the numeral I0 designatesian 'andi-aire Yclosertogether. `As is clearly, shown in Figure 2,a `vi'fedafeshaped lfoot member "t4 :for "engaging the'groun'd is` interposed between and depends from the lower portions 13 of 'the legs "I being fastened thereto `by glue and dowel en upward movement will be imparted teqseid A further robject of the invention is to .provide an improved game device, of the character described, which has its parts fastened'together byidowel pins so that `it maybe economically and readily constructed of Wood -or btherfsuitab available material.

A `construction designed to car-ry `outthe inventio'n will b'e hereinafter described together i with other features :of the invention.

The invention willy beifmore readily understoool from a 'reading of theffo'llowing'specification and. i by reference to the accompanying f drawing,

wherein feXalpI 1of the invention is enewnand wherein: i f i n Figure 1y ievenieeinetrife view "oresemeidee lp'insjl" or other Suitable ineans.

*ends lare lalso `fastened to the cross bar` `I2, `by i 1 glueendsiiitable doti/e1" pinsvIG. Although the use of glue and dowel i's'preferr'ed, it is mani-` festthatfiany type of 'fastening means `maybe The upper inifgloyeii.` Itisipointed out that the legs II,

jerese been "and `feet member I4 could readily ybernadein one piece, espeoiallyxwhenimetal is y us`ed; however, the use of 'separate Lparts and 'fastening Yrneans "makes it `possible `to Construct t'he dev ice of wood or other material whichiirnay be` readily obtainable. i i

Axially-alined `circular recesses or sockets I1,

havingV tapered or `co'r'iical walls I8,` are formed intnellegs H adjacent their flipperende for recgeiving the ,ends "of a, cylindrical shaft or pin I9 'as Ishown in` Figure5. 'ach end 12|] of `the shaft is tapered or bevelled` complemetary to the i Wah IB of its socket I1 so as to have a snug roi `tatarylefit therein. Since the length of the shaft the 1egsit is obvious that said. shaft is, in effect, frictionally `c-laxnped between said `legs but with- "inthe sockets II.L The ends `2(l of the shaftA and the "sockets are adapted to serve `as bearings or pivot jboints for anelongate lactuating .member .-'r-

2| Which-depends from said shaft. For i Figure f5is an enlarged transverse, vertical,`

suspending the arm 2l from the shaft, anenlarged annular collar or hub 22 is made integral l with the upper end of said arm and is provided with an axial transverse bore v23 of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said shaft for `receiving the same. The intermediate portion i of the shaft is preferably secured within the bore 23 of the collar 22 by suitable fastening means, such as glue, dowel pins or brads (not shown). `Obviously with this arrangement the actuating member or arm 2l is freely pivotable relative tothe legs of the frame, whereby it may be swung back and forth between said legs. 4

An operating rod or lever 24, having a suitable knolb 25 mounted on its outer end, is securedw'ith.-`

in a radial opening 2B formed in the collar 22.. If

desired, the inner end 21 of the leverl 24 and the opening 26 may be screw-threaded so as 'to provide a more positive connection therebetween. A,For

adjustalloly maintaining the arm 2 I in a iiXed position relative to the shaft I9 in the event` said arm l is not otherwise fastened thereto, the inner end 21 of the lever maybe pointed'or sharpened so as to engage said shaft as shown at 28- inFigure 4. This arrangement will permit `movement of the arm 2| longitudinally of theA shaft, when necessary or desirable, to compensate for warping of said yarm or a' slight imperfection in one of the other parts. l shaft, it is manifest that said arm and shaft will rotatek about the pivot points of theshaft-as a unit upon a swinging'movement of the lever 24.

:The lower orfree end of the arm 2l terminates immediately above the upper end of the foot member I4 and is disposed between the llower portions I3 of the legs Il, as is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. A foot 29 is formed on the lower extremity of the arm by enlarging the [forward portion of said extremity and curving or bevelling the forward surface thereof outwardly and downwardly. As will be hereinafter more fully explained, the foot 29 isadapted to engage the ball A (Fig. 6) -which is made of wood, rubber, composition o1' othersuitable material. For supporting the ball A upon the de- `vice in the desired position, 'a'pairfof horizonto the opening between the leg portions andabove the foot member, whereby when the ball Ais supported by' said pins a downward swinging Arn-ovementpfj theparm 2I will cause the same to strike said ball and project or impel itaway from the frame. Due to the shape of the pins, the ball will lbe prevented from accidentally falling olf of the frame under `normal conditions. In using the device, the end of the foot member I4 is restedupon the ground or other playf ing surface and the ball A is placed upon the pins 30 4as'shown in dotted lines `in Figs. 1, 2

- and 3. The user then places one hand upon the cross bar I2 and grasps theknob 25 with the other hand, swinging the lever 24 upwardly approximately to the position shown in dotted lines to the left of Figurer 3 so that the arm 2l is swung vrearwardly and upwardly to the position also shown in 'dotted lines in Figure 3. Upon downward movement of the knob and lever,l the arm will vbe swung forwardly and downwardly` and With the arm secured to the then upwardly so as to cause its foot 29 `to strike the ball A and move it from the pins Sil. Of

v course, the distance of the balls flight will be ydetermined by the speed, force and length Vof crease in the angle of inclination from the perpendicular. In other words, the trajectory of the :balls flight will be very nat when'the device is substantially upright, but will bev elevated upon rearward inclination of the device.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the inclination of the device, as well as the direction of aim and force, speed and amount of swing must be taken into consideration in 'employing said device to impart movement to the ball A. Therefore, in order to control the movement or flight of the ball, a marked degree of proficiency and skill on the part vof the player Ais required.

Especially is'this true when it isconsidered that the desired destination of the ball will usually be an elevated target or basketinot shown). Attention is directed to: the factr that the reduced lower end of the foot member I4 Vaids the players aim when the device is used upon-an uneven or rough playingsurface by providing afirmer or steadier footing, However, when the playing surface is'very` smooth and hard, such as a-oor or pavement, the provision of the reduced endv makes 'it more-difficult to aim the device in the desired direction. Due to the curvature of the Y foot 29 of the yarm 2 I, thetrajectory of the flight of the'ball will always be arcuate A or curved, although substantially fl'atawhen the device is held in a perpendicular position. As has been hereinbefore pointed out, the entire device,-including the frame I0, arm 2I and 1ever24, as well as the pins 30, may be made in one piece of metal, wood or other suitable material. However, in view of the fact that metal and suitable machineryis sometimes. not available, it is very desirable to construct the entire device of Awood and to use the parts enumerated. This is also the reason for utilizing glue and/or dowel-pin's when any other type of fastening means vwould be suitable.

In view of the fact that the entire device, as well as the ball, may be constructed of wood, it is manifest thatthe device may be .readilyand economically manufactured at any place where suicient wood and skilled labor are available.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various, changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made,

within the scope of the appendedf'claim, without frame to readily perrnit'manual holding of saidv device in engagement with a suitable surfaceat 'any desired angle relative thereto, said frame having a pair of Vspaced legs, a transverse pivot pin having its ends journaled in the spaced legs of the frame adjacent their upper ends, an elongate actuating member'of less length than said frame having its upper portion pivotally `supported upon the pin so as to be freely swingabie n swung manually into .engagement with the object to which it is desired to impart movement, `the means for manually swinging said member extending into the same and engaging the surface of said pivot pin to assist in maintaining the 5 member in a xed position relative to the pin.

JOSEPH W. PATTERSON. 

